Year of the Spark: December 15 to 17
by Sparky Army
Summary: Give her Wraith, Replicators, Genii, even the IOA and she could handle them all, stick her in a room full of people she'd known in high school and she was fairly sure she was going to crumble.
1. Chapter 1

_We, the Sparky Army, decree 2008 to be the Year of the Spark. We pledge to post a new sparky story or chapter of a sparky story every day from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. Though the Powers that Be have removed Elizabeth Weir from the regular cast of Stargate Atlantis, we feel that she remains an integral part of the show, and that the relationship between her and John Sheppard is too obvious to be ignored. We hope that you, and anyone might happen to read these works, agree._

_And if that isn't official enough for you, we don't know what is. Seriously, guys, we're just trying to have some fun--and show TPTB that Sparky is the way to go. So sit back and enjoy the 366 stories coming your way!_

Authors Note (Hannah554): So I think this is mostly gonna be a bit of humour, with Romance thrown in there of course. Enjoy!

* * *

**Reunion**

_By Hannah554_

* * *

Chapter 1

Elizabeth stared at the invitation in her hand; it had arrived on the Deadalus with the last shipment of supplies and mail from earth. She'd been staring at it on and off since she'd opened the envelope it had been in three days ago. Part of her wanted to throw it in the bin now and never think of it again, looking back on that part of her life was something she avoided, another part of her wanted to accept. It was that little part of her that had prevented her from screwing up the small piece of card and throwing it in the bin in the corner of her office.

"What's that?" John questioned as he entered the office, startling Elizabeth out of her thoughts and back to reality.

"Nothing," she said putting it on the pile of papers in the corner of her desk as though it really was nothing. Ever observant John narrowed his eyes at her knowing - probably from the lingering look she'd given it - that it was not nothing. "It's an invitation, it's not important, I'm not going."

"Going where?" he questioned and she sighed at the curious look on his face.

"My high school reunion," she told him in resignation, she knew already the matter wouldn't be dropped until she fessed up, even if he had to revisit the conversation at another time.

"Why don't you want to go?" he asked her.

"Just don't have the time, I'm not all that interested in going anyway," she half lied; she really didn't have the time. As well as the mountain of paperwork she'd tried to hide the invitation in, she had three teams off world on long missions, two of them wouldn't be back by the time she'd have to head to earth. It was really that short notice but then given that the mail had to make it all the way to another galaxy she couldn't really complain, she didn't think 'next day delivery' covered inter-galactic post.

"I'm sure you can make time," John stated with a frown "When is it?"

"This weekend," she told him, it was unlikely they'd be able to request a trip back to earth and get everything done that would need to be done by then.

"Well that's short notice, gotta love intergalactic post," he stated and it hit Elizabeth for probably the millionth time in the last few years that she spent way too much time with John, she was starting to think like him and that was a scary thought in itself. "Look it'll take some extra effort but I think we can manage to shift everything around so that you can go, these things don't come along very often."

She sighed inwardly, the man was infuriatingly caring, especially when it came to her and while she usually loved that about him at that moment it made her want to strangle him. "To tell you the truth John, I don't really want to go."

"Why?" he questioned and this time she let her sigh show on the outside.

"I wasn't really the most... popular girl in high school," she told him, choosing her words carefully, he gave her an expectant look and for reasons beyond her she actually continued. "I was a loser okay," she admitted, not her usually choice of words but adequate to explain how she'd felt back then.

"It can't have been that bad," John stated when he saw the look on her face; she glared at him obviously making him reconsider.

"The popular girls used to torture me... everyday," she said with emphasis. "They used to hide my things, push me into trash cans, cut holes in my clothes during Phys Ed, trip me over in the cafeteria so that I'd end up on the floor with my face in my lunch, stick signs on..."

"Alright, alright, I get it," John cut in and Elizabeth realised she'd gotten so caught up in the torturous memories that she hadn't realised she'd still been listing them.

"I hated high school and it really, really hated me," she told him sighing and dropping her head into her arms on the desk.

"Okay, so maybe it wasn't... a particularly fun time," John said carefully "But look at you now, you're the gorgeous leader of an advanced alien city in another galaxy with friends as high up as, let's see, the President of the United states."

"Most of which I can't tell them," she told him without looking up from the desk, the sound muffled by her arms but John had clearly gotten the gist of it. Her mind was still stuck on the word 'gorgeous' which was part of the reason for keeping her head down, blushing wasn't something she did often.

"True, but a lot of it you can," he tried and she finally lifted her head up and stared at him pathetically.

"Yeah, I can tell them I'm married to my work, have the social life of a hermit and no man to speak of but I do have a few nice friends," she stated and then dropped her head back down to her arms.

"That's it, head up," John ordered.

"Why?" Elizabeth half whined without moving.

"Because Elizabeth Weir is not a self depreciating cynic, now get up and go get your jacket while I find Teyla, we're going shopping on the mainland," he informed her and she looked at him incredulously. He raised an expectant eyebrow.

"Do I have to drag you out of that chair myself?" he questioned. "If I do I'll be throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you to the Jumper Bay," he told her and there was just enough threat in his voice that she knew he'd actually do it so she stood up. She didn't know what it was about high school, about the people she'd known and the person she'd been back then that made her feel so inferior. She could face down, Wraith, Replicators, Genii, the military, the IOA, but stick her in a room full of people she'd known in high school and she was fairly sure she was going to crumble.

"Fine," she grumbled as she left the room, she usually enjoyed shopping with Teyla anyway that still didn't mean she was actually going to go to the reunion.

"And..." John continued as she walked through the door, she stopped and turned back to him. "If you want someone to go with you... I'd be more than happy to," he said and there was so much awkwardness in the way he said it that it actually made him more adorable.

"I'd like that," she told him, smiling at the gesture and then turning to walk through the control room.

What the hell did she just do, she hadn't even been planning to go?!

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

_We, the Sparky Army, decree 2008 to be the Year of the Spark. We pledge to post a new sparky story or chapter of a sparky story every day from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. Though the Powers that Be have removed Elizabeth Weir from the regular cast of Stargate Atlantis, we feel that she remains an integral part of the show, and that the relationship between her and John Sheppard is too obvious to be ignored. We hope that you, and anyone might happen to read these works, agree._

_And if that isn't official enough for you, we don't know what is. Seriously, guys, we're just trying to have some fun--and show TPTB that Sparky is the way to go. So sit back and enjoy the 366 stories coming your way!_

* * *

**Reunion**

_By Hannah554_

* * *

Chapter 2

She wasn't sure how it was possible that she was now standing in her apartment on earth waiting for John to pick her up so they could go to her high school reunion. She'd been so sure it wouldn't happen, that there jobs would never allow for it but here she was. It was strange, it had looked like they wouldn't make it until the Friday morning, John had contacted someone – she was fairly sure it had been Jack – and then informed her she had a few hours to get what she needed before they were both going to earth for a couple of days.

There was a beep and Elizabeth hit the button for the apartment intercom, John's voice came through and she buzzed him up. Her nerves got just a little bit worse as she waited for him to come up the stairs. She'd developed a bad habit over the last few hours, smoothing down her dress and checking to make sure she looked okay. The Athosian that had made it for her had been a close friend of Teyla's and somehow she'd put the dress together in less than three days. It would be different from anyone else's that was for sure, the material itself was alien after all. The green fabric hugged her upper body tightly, held up by two thin straps over her shoulders; the Athosian woman had told her it would show off everything that made her a woman. The bottom was loose, flared out just the right amount to be perfect and the whole thing had some kind of gem stones in it, placed randomly throughout and making the dress almost seem to sparkle in places.

She'd tied her hair back, most of it anyway, there were a few loose strands that had refused to stay away from her face and she'd eventually given up and left them to it. Her jacket was hanging over the back of the couch, made of the same green fabric as her dress, it was small but it would cover her bare shoulders and arms. She was about to go and get it when there was a knock on the door and she turned around to open it and let John in.

He was standing there in his tux, looking unbelievably sexy and for once she didn't mind having thought that. His hair was the same unruly but somehow perfect mess that it always was and if she was honest she wouldn't want it any other way. He was just stood there staring at her with a slightly wide eyed expression, she forgot that John hadn't even seen the dress never mind seen her in it. She kind of hoped that the wide eyes were a good thing and not because she looked ridiculous, she hadn't even worn a dress this... extravagant to her prom.

"Does it look ridiculous?" she questioned trying to sound less insecure than she felt in that moment, a feeling she hated almost as much as the inferior one she was going to get when they got to the reunion. She was not an insecure person by any stretch but everyone had their thing, high school was hers.

"No," John managed to say. "You look... beautiful."

"Thanks," she said looking down and covering her small blush by going to get her jacket. John held out his arm for her and she accepted with a nervous smile.

"Relax," John instructed as they left the apartment and headed for his car. "Anyone that picks on you is getting shot."

"You did not bring your gun?" Elizabeth questioned incredulously though she appreciated the gesture.

"No, of course not, I'll just have to go find them later," he told her and she laughed as he opened the door of his car for her."Seriously stop worrying, it's gonna be a good night."

* * *

They were probably among the last to arrive and it took John a couple of circles around the car park to find a space. She jumped out of the car even before him and stared at the building with a distinct feeling of terror. They were all in there, the girls that had made her life hell, the boys that had been the first on the list of people willing to help them. She linked arms with John again as they walked to the building, they could hear the music as they stepped through the door, the first song played at their prom if she remembered correctly.

"I hate high school, I hate high school, I hate high school," she repeated to herself in whispers and felt John chuckle beside her.

"Elizabeth, you're not there anymore, you do realise that right?" he questioned and she turned to glare at him. "See just hit them with that, it ought to shut them up pretty quickly."

A young man came over and took her jacket to the cloak room, at least she hoped that was where he was taking it. She could see the party through the double doors in front of her, it looked like her prom all over again and that just made her not want to go in more. She took a deep breath though, kept her arm linked with John's and walked through the doors. The hall was huge, decorated with the same teenage sense of style their prom had been. The refreshments table was twice as long though and she made a note of the abundant amounts of alcohol not only there but at the bar, she might need that later.

"Elizabeth Weir?" a woman questioned as she approached. "I thought it was you, been a long time hasn't it."

"Hi Elsie," she replied remembering the awkward science club geek the woman had been in her high school days. A large frizzy hairstyle and the think glasses, the stereo-typical image of a geek, the woman looked different now. Straight blonde hair, probably contact lenses and a figure some women might kill for. "You look good."

"Thanks, so do you, and this is?" she questioned looking at John.

"John Sheppard, John this is Elsie," she introduced and the two shook hands, exchanging pleasantries.

"I guess you haven't seen them yet," Elsie stated there were no prizes for guessing who she was talking about. "They look like the same glamorous beauty queens they did in high school, three of them are married, in fact Nancy married Carl."

"Are you serious, those two were so off and on I thought the end of high school would be it," Elizabeth replied and Elsie nodded.

"Jodi is married to some salesman, Claire is on her second marriage and it's looking rocky. Then of course there's the queen bee herself, she's here with someone but I don't think they've been together long," Elsie told her and Elizabeth remembered the gossip lover she'd been even as a member of the science club, she'd known everything about everyone. "Oh there's Sharon, I'll catch up with you later."

"She seems nice," John stated as Elsie ran off to the brunette that had just wondered into her field of view.

"Science club, she was a bullying target too," Elizabeth told him and John nodded his head.

"Lizzie?" another voice questioned and Elizabeth resisted the urge to run away fast. She'd hated being called that since long before high school and only four girls had ever done it, at least with that annoying, mocking tone of voice. She turned around to see two faces that she would have loved to block out of her memory.

"Claire, Jodi," she greeted pasting on a smile that probably looked completely fake.

"Look at you, where'd you get the dress?" Claire questioned but never gave her a chance to answer. "So what have you been up to? I just came back from Hawaii as you can see; this is just a perfect tan. Alan paid of course; man can't help but treat me to wonderful things. Jodi's coming with me on my next cruise along with her husband, it should be real fun."

"I've been working for the government," she told them. "I've done a fair bit of travelling myself."

"Really, like where to?" Jodi questioned, "I toured the world last year, so I've probably been there."

"Erm," Elizabeth began pleading with her mind not to go blank on her now. "A lot of places, Russia, Middle East, France, England, a few other places."

"How interesting?" Jodi replied sounding like it was the exact opposite.

"Where are my manners, this is John by the way," she said pulling John into the conversation to try and shield herself as Nancy came to join the group. John was polite; he greeted them all and then excused them from the conversation. Elizabeth wished they'd just stayed where they were; it had to have been better than the consequences.

"Hello Lizzie," the tall blonde said as she stepped into her path. "Oh what was it we used to call you... Loser Lizzie that was it."

"Yes, Melissa, that was it, it's nice to see you too," Elizabeth said, repressing a sigh at the memory of the name, it usually proceeded seeing the bottom of a trashcan or having a sign stuck to her back or some other horrible thing. Melissa had been the queen bee, probably still was, she was beautiful and evil, guys had dropped at her feat and girls would have killed to be her friend.

"And who is this?" she questioned with a leering look at John.

"John Sheppard," he introduced himself and shook her hand, frowning when she held onto it a little longer than was necessary.

"Husband, I don't see a ring?" Mel questioned.

"No, he's not he's..." she began, trying not to roll her eyes at the man eater look on the former prom queen's face.

"Her boyfriend," John cut in surprising her as he put his arm around her shoulders. "Haven't been dating too long but we've been friends for years."

"Ah," Mel replied, same look on her face. "Such a shame but then nothing lasts forever does it."

"Elsie said you were here with someone," Elizabeth said, this time cutting in herself before Mel could start undressing her second in command with her eyes.

"Oh, Dylan's around here somewhere," she said with a glance around the room. "He owns his own business, makes a lot of money but I really don't see our relationship lasting, he's not my type. My type is usually a little more... experienced, I prefer the dark haired, muscular type."

Mel took a step closer to John as she made her not so subtle hint and Elizabeth was caught between the urge to slap her or run away and cry, clearly that one was still left over from her high school days when Mel had started dating the football player Elizabeth had a crush on. He'd been out of her league but that hadn't stopped her from being gutted, nor had it stopped Mel from rubbing it in her face once the evil teen had found out about Elizabeth's crush on him.

"Well, it was nice to meet you Mel but Elizabeth and I love this song so if you'll excuse us..." John said as he guided Elizabeth toward the dance floor.

"I'm sure we'll talk again soon, in fact you can count on it," Mel said as John and Elizabeth walked away.

"That is one scary woman," John stated as he put his arms around Elizabeth's waist. "For a second I was scared she might actually eat me."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

_We, the Sparky Army, decree 2008 to be the Year of the Spark. We pledge to post a new sparky story or chapter of a sparky story every day from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. Though the Powers that Be have removed Elizabeth Weir from the regular cast of Stargate Atlantis, we feel that she remains an integral part of the show, and that the relationship between her and John Sheppard is too obvious to be ignored. We hope that you, and anyone might happen to read these works, agree._

_And if that isn't official enough for you, we don't know what is. Seriously, guys, we're just trying to have some fun--and show TPTB that Sparky is the way to go. So sit back and enjoy the 366 stories coming your way!_

* * *

**Reunion**

_By Hannah554_

* * *

Chapter 3

"So, boyfriend huh?" Elizabeth questioned finally finding some amusement with this entire situation, it helped that she hadn't run into the four torturers for a while now. She knew they were still here somewhere, every now and again she saw one of the former school losers wondering around looking like they were ready to cry. Even now, all these years later, when they were all adults who should be stronger than they had been during their teen years, those four girls could still yank someone's confidence out from under them and make them feel like they were still seventeen years old again. She'd spent the last half an hour meeting people she'd actually gotten along with back in high school, fellow victims who had mostly done well for themselves.

"You're asking now?" John asked his own amusement obvious. "I said that half an hour ago."

"I'm only just finding it funny," she replied with a shrug.

"Yeah, well, seemed like the right thing to say at the time," he told her scratching the back of his head. "I think I'm gonna go and get a drink, want one?"

"Yeah, whatever you have," she told him as she spotted another of her old friends. "I'll be over there."

John nodded and wondered off toward the bar, it was the first drink they'd had since they'd arrived and she figured it would be his last, alcoholic anyway; he had to drive after this. She walked over to her friend, Craig recognised her straight away and she had to smile at how little he'd changed. He was definitely older but he was still the same proud geek she remembered.

"Hello Elizabeth," he greeted warmly.

"It's good to see you Craig, good to see you haven't changed much," she replied and he smiled.

"Why change something that doesn't have a problem?" he questioned rhetorically. She chatted with him for several minutes before they both moved on, she looked around her. John had a pretty good sense of direction so she was fairly sure he wouldn't have gotten lost on the way to the bar. She went looking for him, locating him fairly quickly still stood at the bar with Melissa all over him. Her reaction was a mixture of the rapidly becoming annoying inferiority, jealousy and a strong desire to kick the woman's ass. There was no way she was putting up with this again, Melissa stealing _her_ guy once was plenty times enough.

She walked over to the pair; John looked like he wanted to make a run for it which gave her some comfort. They had yet to see her coming and Elizabeth saw red when Melissa stepped into John's personal space and put her hands on his chest. John took a step back, moving her hands off him in time to see Elizabeth approaching.

"Elizabeth," he exclaimed and she offered him a smile as she moved to stand beside him linking her arm with his.

"John," she acknowledged with a small smile. "Oh Melissa, I think I just saw your date flirting with Elsie."

"Why would he be...?" Melissa began but then probably remembered that this wasn't high school and Elsie was no longer the dateless geek. She excused herself and ran off in search of her date stopping momentarily to turn to John.

"I'll see you later," she told him seductively and then continued on her way.

"Thank you," John said with emphasis putting both his hands on her arms, over exaggerating the gesture just a little bit. "Give me a Wraith, hell give me an iratus bug, just keep her away from me."

"I somehow doubt it's that bad," Elizabeth replied with a roll of her eyes.

"That's easy for you to say she doesn't want to eat you," he responded sarcastically and she raised an eyebrow at him. "Anyway I thought you were scared of her."

"I am... was... am," Elizabeth told him confusing herself. "I suppose being here isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be and I'm not... Loser Lizzie anymore."

"Damn right, you're not," John replied linking his arm with hers again. "Now how about those drinks the man eater kept me from getting."

"Sounds good."

* * *

The party was over, most people were gone and the cleaners were starting to move in on the place. Elizabeth decided she was glad she'd come, she'd enjoyed almost the whole night, connected with friends she hadn't heard from in years. She'd had to dodge a few of the more specific questions about her job and how pacifist teenager Elizabeth was suddenly so connected to the military but other than that it had been a good night.

John had been the perfect date even if he had been constantly trying to avoid Melissa; she had to admit that she had occasionally gone out of her way to stay away from the former prom queen too. Melissa's date had left shortly after Mel had caught him flirting with Elsie, there were rumours flying around that they'd broken up and the man had left with Elsie's phone number. It was extremely satisfying to see how the tables had turned, Mel and the popular girls were no longer the greatest, most important people in their world and those that had been considered the losers were now on top.

It had also served to remind her of how much she had changed herself; she was a lot stronger now than she had ever been back then. She had probably the most amazing job out of anyone here even if she couldn't actually tell them all that. She was a leader, a diplomat and according to John a damn amazing person and that was something she could take home with her from here.

As if John hadn't made his disinterest in the woman clear Elizabeth found Melissa all over him again. She rolled her eyes and walked over to them, John was trying to come up with excuses to leave while Melissa ignored them all.

"Come on John, time to go home," she said as she approached and Melissa gave her a glare that seemed pitiful when compared to the ones she'd received over the last ten years or so, she used to be scared of _that_.

"Oh give me a break Lizzie," Melissa said and Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at her. "I just gave him a choice and you think he's going to choose to go home with you? I mean just look at you, you're prettier than you were in school I'll give you that but you're still not that pretty. You have what sounds like a very boring job and you still have the personality of a fish, all in all, you're not even average, your below it."

Admittedly, that stung a little... okay it stung a lot but she wasn't about to let it show, she had only recently coming to the very liberating knowledge that they really weren't in high school anymore and Melissa was no longer the evil queen who ruled her world. She wasn't going to allow a few nasty words, albeit stinging ones; ruin that now.

"I don't know Melissa but your own date left with one of the old losers' numbers so..." Elizabeth trailed off and Melissa glared at her so hard Lizabeth was sure that if any looks could really kill that would be the one to do it, so it was that one she'd been scared of. Mel turned to John, her seductive eyes in place if slightly tinted by the angry pout, they'd still be pretty effective on most men, she only prayed for reasons best left for another time that they didn't work on John.

"How about it John, home with me or... her," she said giving Elizabeth a disgusted glance as though she'd just scraped her off the bottom of her shoe.

"Now there's a choice," John replied and stepped closer to Elizabeth, putting his arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him. It was completely unexpected when his lips met hers and he wasn't just making it look good for the former prom queen either, he was actually kissing her. She managed somehow to forget where she was and that it was probably incredibly inappropriate for her to be kissing her second n command. She reached her hands up, pulling his face closer to hers if that was even possible and when they parted it took her several moments to get her bearings. "Clear enough?" John questioned with a look at Melissa who was standing there in half open mouthed shock. She pouted and stamped her foot, letting out a cry of angry annoyance before she stormed out of the room like the eighteen year old she still was in her head.

"What do you say we get out of here and find somewhere to eat, the sausage rolls and cocktail sticks weren't all that filling?" John suggested and Elizabeth gathered enough of her senses to nod her head. John smirked, that damn smug smirk that made her a little bit irritated that he had managed to stun her so completely.

"Fine, as long as you don't think sleeping with the boss comes with perks," she stated to get her own back and to John's credit he managed to catch his jaw before it got too far. She started heading for the door and a few seconds later he caught up with her, smug grin back in place.

"And there was me thinking that sleeping with the boss was the perk."

THE END


End file.
